Notre Dame Football: The Holy War

The Notre Dame vs. Boston College rivalry forces a meeting between the only two Catholic universities playing FBS-level football.

It has been thus dubbed "The Holy War" and is surprisingly contentious.

Historically, Notre Dame is seen as the traditional power, for decades dominating the college landscape, hoarding championships and legions of fans.

It is to no one's surprise that Boston College is deemed "little brother" in the rivalry.

This year's meeting will mark the 21st game in the series, and comes in a familiar way, with Notre Dame ranked and favored to beat the Eagles by a large sum.

The Irish are by all accounts the bigger, faster, stronger team and on paper should find the game well in hand by the end of the third quarter.

As Lee Corso so often says on ESPN's College Gameday, "Not so fast, my friend!"

Although Notre Dame jumped out to an early series lead winning the first four straight, Boston College has since held a 9-7 lead.

Things are worse for the Irish when favorably ranked, as Boston College has upset Notre Dame in five of those nine meetings.

No matter how confident an Irish fan may feel about Saturday's game, no matter now little that fan may fear Boston College, I submit six reasons that they should!

November 8, 2008 Boston College 17, Notre Dame 0

The 2008 game between the Irish and the Eagles may mark the low point in the series for Notre Dame.

For the sixth straight time Notre Dame fell to their "little brother."

Each team entered the game 5-3, but the game was never close.

Despite passing for only 79 yards and doing little offensively themselves Boston College managed to shut out the Irish and intercept Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen four times, returning one for a score.

Notre Dame committed five turnovers, and managed only 66 yards rushing in the only shut out of the BC/ND series.

Nov. 20, 1999: #25 Boston College 31, Notre Dame 29

The 1999 loss to Boston College left Notre Dame with six losses and out of the bowl picture for the first time in more than a decade.

It would also be the first time since Lou Holtz's first year in 1986 that the team would finish with a losing record.

The game was much like the rest of the year for Notre Dame, dismal. During the radio broadcast, then voice of the Irish Tony Roberts remarked that "The Irish are playing like they want to be home for the holidays."

Their desires were fulfilled.

Oct. 23, 2004: Boston College 24, #24 Notre Dame 23

Beginning the final downward slide of the Tyrone Willingham era was the 2004 loss to Boston College.

Notre Dame entered the game 5-2 and back in the rankings for the first time in a long time before BC gave the Irish their usual send-off.

The Irish went on to lose three of their final four games en route to a 6-6 finish that culminated with a 38-21 pounding by Oregon State in the Insight Bowl.

Oct. 8, 1994: Boston College 30, #8 Notre Dame 11

In a way, you have to feel sorry for Ron Powlus.

He arrived at Notre Dame with the weight of the world around his shoulders. Beano Cook predicted that the young Berwick, Pa., native would lead Notre Dame to multiple national championships and would win multiple Heisman Trophies.

The weight of that pressure (and a hard spring practice tackle) snapped Powlus' collar bone prior to the start of the 1993 season, delaying his debut.

The 1993 team went 11-1 and ended the season No. 2 in the nation.

Neither Powlus,nor the Irish have managed to climb that high in the 18 years since.

The loss to Boston College began a late-season 2-4-1 slide that dropped Notre Dame from the polls.

The game at Alumni Stadium was over early, as Notre Dame came in flat and were steamrolled by Boston College, losing to the Eagles for only the second time in the series.

Nov. 2, 2002: Boston College 14, #4 Notre Dame 7

Notre Dame entered the 2002 contest riding an improbable eight-game winning streak to begin Tyrone Willingham's tenure and had risen to No. 4 in the Associated Press poll.

The Irish also honored the initial "the shirt," a kelly green "return to glory" themed T-shirt donned en masse by the entire student body by wearing green jerseys themselves.

Unfortunately, the green jersey's effect did not have its anticipated uplifting effect on Notre Dame, as they committed five turnovers in a depressing 14-7 loss.

Starting quarterback Carlyle Holliday was unable to start, which thrust walk-on back-up Pat Dillingham into the spotlight.

Unfortunately for Notre Dame, Dillingham played like a back up, fumbling twice and throwing a pair of interceptions, one of which was returned for the game's deciding score.

Only eight games in, this loss signified the turning point of the Willingham era, as after the loss to Boston College, Willingham's teams managed 13 wins against 16 losses prior to his termination.

Nov. 20, 1993: #17 Boston College 41, #1 Notre Dame 39

I can still see the clock.

Notre Dame had just erased a two-score fourth-quarter deficit to lead for the first time all day.

Then there was a personal-foul penalty on the Irish on the kickoff making what would have been a long field suddenly very manageable for Glen Foley and the Tom Coughlin-led Eagles.

Early in the series, Notre Dame linebacker Pete Berscich had a Foley pass hit him literally between the numbers, but rather than pull in the clinching interception, the ball fell to the turf.

A couple of big gainers on very nice throws by Foley led to the kick.

Despite Notre Dame piling up 427 yards of total offense, scoring five touchdowns, and reeling off 22 points in the final 11 minutes, the game would be remembered for a kick.

With :03 remaining, BC kicker David Gordon booted a 41-yard field goal to end Notre Dame's National Title shot.

The Irish would go on to defeat Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl and finish No. 2 in the polls behind a Florida State team that the Irish had defeated.

The game marked the first Boston College win, and marked the last time that Notre Dame has held the top ranking.

So Beware the Eagles!

Notre Dame, by all accounts, will win on Saturday.

Boston College this year has holes all over, which the Irish should exploit.

Still, that has been said in the past and has failed to play out.

Notre Dame leads the all-time series only 11-9.

Since the 1992 game, the widest margin of the series, a 54-7 Notre Dame victory at which the game scenes from "Rudy" were filmed at halftime, the Eagles have beaten the Irish in seven of nine meetings.

In most, Notre Dame was favored.

Simply stated, for the men of Notre Dame this weekend, beware Boston College.